Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Abia pensioners have hinted that they would soon roll out the drums, wear their white attires and march round the streets of Umuahia, the state capital, to celebrate Gov. Alex Otti for defraying their pension arrears.
The Coordinator, Concerned Abia Pensioners, Elder Emeka Okezie, who gave the hint in an interview with our Correspondent, said some of them never knew they would still be alive to receive their pension arrears.
Gov. Otti, had on his Easter message, directed that the outstanding pension arrears of Abia pensioners be cleared.
Before Otti came on board, pensioners were owed up to 45 months of pension arrears by the previous administrations.
Ever since the payment of the arrears began, there has been an eruption of joy across the state as the senior citizens keep receiving fat bank alerts.
Commissioner for Finance Mike Akpara, had earlier at a press conference, said that some pensioners got up to N8 million as their accumulated arrears for years.
Gov. Otti had also directed that pensioners would be paid their full pension on the 28th every month along with civil servants in active service.
Speaking with our Correspondent, Elder Okezie said that pensioners were very satisfied with the Governor’s benevolence, and were planning to reciprocate with a solidarity march.
Elder Okezie said the pensioners were satisfied with what they were paid based on the agreement their leadership had with Government, adding that they accepted the payment with great joy.
He said that the joy of staying alive to receive backlog of their pension arrears had beclouded the balance of whatever was left.
Elder Okezie said pensioners were willing to sacrifice the balance as part of their contribution to the on-going massive infrastructural development by the Governor.
He said they felt it was a dream when they received bank alert of their pension arrears, adding that their lives have been revived.
“After getting the alert of my March half pension; the next day I got another alert which read ‘outstanding pension.’ I was full of joy. Others called me and said they got their own.
“We are happy. The bigger joy is that from April, we will start receiving our full pension by the 28 of every month.
“The Governor has fulfilled his promise and we are happy. Very soon we are going to wear our white attires and march round the streets of Umuahia to thank the Governor and his team for making us happy.
“He does not need to campaign for his second tenure in 2027. We will vote for him again as we did before, and he will win again.
“The Governor is building road and other projects for the people, we don’t mind forfeiting the balance as our contribution.
“We are satisfied with that because some of us never believed we could still be paid in our lifetime.”
